Today's news, and the following is from the New York Times article (I saw it in the Philadelphia Inquirer), shows that CNN has decided to part ways with Mr. Carlson, and that they are cancelling "Crossfire," that granddaddy of the "yammering heads" shows. I guess someone has cottoned to the fact that all those shows consist of regurgitations of party talking points.
No guesses about it. Jonathan Klein, the President of the network, indicates that Jon Stewart's assessment had a whole lot to do with his decision:
Mr. Klein said he wanted to move CNN away from what he called "head-butting debate shows," which have become the staple of much of all-news television in the prime-time hours, especially at the top-rated Fox News Channel.
"CNN is a different animal," Mr. Klein said. "We report the news. Fox talks about the news. They're very good at what they do and we're very good at what we do."
Mr. Klein specifically cited the criticism that the comedian Jon Stewart leveled at "Crossfire" when he was a guest on the program during the presidential campaign. Mr. Stewart said that ranting partisan political shows on cable were "hurting America."
Mr. Klein said last night, "I agree wholeheartedly with Jon Stewart's overall premise." He said he believed that especially after the terror attacks on 9/11, viewers are interested in information, not opinion.
Three cheers for Jon Stewart. Now it would be good if he can go after Sean Hannity, or that yammering head superhero, Falafel Man!
